Pentax K100D S vs Sony HX20V

Its time to take a deeper look at the Pentax K100D S vs Sony HX20V, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the K100D S (6MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the K100D S (APS-C) and HX20V (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The K100D S was launched 6 years before the HX20V and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the K100D S matches up versus the HX20V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K100D Super and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The complete galleries are available at Pentax K100D S Gallery and Sony HX20V Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Pentax K100D S has exterior dimensions of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs) and the Sony HX20V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Pentax K100D S vs Sony HX20V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the K100D S versus the HX20V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K100D S and HX20V is 65 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the K100D S and HX20V.

As you can see, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The K100D S featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Sony HX20V will offer you greater detail utilizing its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The older K100D S is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.